Since the Tories came to power in 2010, successive Home Secretaries under four different PMs have pushed for a tougher stance on migration. As a nation, we witnessed a lean towards isolationist populism within the Tory Party.
First on this agenda was the ‘hostile environment’ policy introduced by then-Home Secretary Theresa May. Migrants are mandated to provide documentation proving they arrived in the UK through official means.
What came out of it? Cut on essential services such as healthcare, benefits and other welfare support to undocumented migrants. It intentionally made the UK a less appealing place to migrate to. This ultimately resulted in the Windrush Scandal where detained and deported many settled migrants back to countries they left 50 years ago.
The effects of this demeaning policy still echo in universities with legal mandates for international students to record their attendance or face an investigation from the UK Border Authority.
Attitudes towards migrants have increasingly worsened. Braverman’s predecessor, Priti Patel has undoubtedly been one of the harsher ministers in recent years. The culmination of her "achievements" was the organisation of a deal with Rwanda to process new migrants. A dehumanising process where migrants with pending applications would be deported to Rwanda to await results.
It is still unsure whether this is legal under the UN refugee convention.
This trend of continued anti-migration Home Secretaries has ultimately led to Suella Braverman. Her speeches and interviews thus far have followed a similar pattern: thanking the appalling work of Priti Patel, pledging to bring net migration down and promising to achieve this by reducing the number of "low-skilled workers".
In addition, she has expressed disgust at the number of international students “propping up…substandard course(s)”. None of these repeated statements present a bright future towards migrants.
Furthermore, she has continued dangerous rhetoric demanding migrants’ integration into British society. In her speech at the party conference, she stated that immigration should be a “quid pro quo”. This clearly pushes a viewpoint that moving to the UK should only be done by those willing and able to. Migrants forced out of their present situation are not welcome in Braverman’s “dream”.
Braverman's appointment ensures the continuous succession of harsh policies that aim to push away asylum seekers, refugees or anyone in search of a better life. Her decisions will continue the depressing trend of making Britain unwelcoming to the international community, painting a sad state of affairs for the country.
Ultimately, under Tory rule, Britain has never truly been a refuge for migrants.